RE: Gear crunch when shifing into 2nd

[Jason <jason@scirocco.org>]

At 09:31 PM 9/24/98 , Ian Overholt wrote:
>That sounds similar to my story.  The synthetic has reduced the 
>grinding, but if I go above 3K and then try to shift quickly to 2nd 
>while the tranny is cold, it will still grind.  But if I shift slower 
>and give the syncro time to work, there's no grinding.  I've suspected 
>the 2nd gear syncro needs replacing, and probably will be replaced if I 
>ever have a need to remove the transmission.

I think Ian hit the nail on the head without even realizing it! :)
You could take pretty much any car and grind on the 1-2 shift when it's cold.
The 2nd gear synchro, as Meze said, takes a whole lot of shit; there are a
lot of forces acting in there... but Ian made a very important
distinction-- when he sifts quickly from 1 to 2 over 3000rpm when the 'box
is cold.  That's the problem right there!  Before everything is at normal
operating temperature, you should never be revving your engine over 3k to
begin with.  In fact, there is a whole different driving style that you
should be adopting when your engine is cold.  Pay attention to  some auto
transmissions--what happens when they're cold.  They shift at lower points,
take much longer to set up the shift, and shift very slowly.  This is
exactly what you should be doing to your cars in the morning- don't rev
over 3k, don't use more than 1/3 throttle (obviously unless necessary), and
make very slow, deliberate shifts.  I have never had a problem with
grinding on my transmission-- not in any gear.
	I know I am gonna piss a lot of people off with this, but it needs to be
said.  Driving a stick is an art form... there is a whole method of what's
"right" and what is "wrong".  I was fortunate enough to have lived in
Germany during my formative driving years; and was therefore coached on the
"right" way to drive a stick and the "wrong" way.  Of course, YMMV, but I
think it's safe to say that the Germans know what they're talking about
when it comes to cars.
	The single most important factor in driving a stick properly is
smoothness; and it's not just for the comfort of your passengers; it's for
the life of your driveline components.  After x amount of miles driving a
certain car, you should be working towards shifting just as smooth as a GM
autobox... and there's no reason you should ever feel a shift in your own
car.  Being smooth will take the life of your clutch from 80k miles to
150k+, but also extend the life of your motor mounts, and help avoid other
catastrophic failures due to high loads on the engine and transmission.
There's nothing harder on your driveline than a harsh 1-2 shift with the
corresponding THUNK and the lurching forward of your passengers' heads.
	If you achieve smoothness in shifting, you'll find that you have no
grinding problems either.  If you time your shifts to be ultra-smooth,
you're essentially shifting at the point where the synchros do nothing; and
you don't actually need the clutch at all.  
	Sorry for the soapbox speech, but I have been in one too many cars with
people who insist they're excellent stickshift drivers (and I'm not talking
about anyone on the list) but whose passengers get out with a cramped neck
and whiplash... it's bad driving practice and it's killing the cars... and
<sniff> it just makes me sad to see these cars being abused like that.
	So, folks, now that you all hate me, bottom line; be nice to your car...
aim to shift as smoothly as a GM Turbo-Hydramatic, and your car will love
you back.  No grinds, no fried motor mounts.  And your passengers will
thank you for it! :)
		hehe...
			Jason


- --
To subscribe or unsubscribe, send email to scirocco-L-request@scirocco.org,
with your request (subscribe, unsubscribe) in the BODY of the message.

------------------------------